Churches: Difference between revisions

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[[Church of San Zaccaria]]
[[Church of San Zaccaria]]
[[Church of San Zulian]]
[[Church of San Zulian]]
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{{Navbox
|name = Churches which are members of CHORUS Association
|title = Churches of Venice in CHORUS
|title1 = Churches of Venice which are members of the CHORUS Association
[[Church of Santa Maria Zobenigo]]
[[Church of San Stefano]]
[[Church of Santa Maria Formosa]]
[[Church of I Miracoli]]
[[Church of San Giovanni Elemosinario]]
[[Church of San Polo]]
[[Church of San Giacomo dell'Orio]]
[[Church of San Stae]]
[[Church of Sant'Alvise]]
[[Church of San Pietro di Castello]]
[[Church of I Redentore]]
[[Church of Santa Giustina]]
[[Church of San Sebastiano]]
[[Church of San Giobbe]]
[[Church of La Madonna dell'Orto]]
[[Church of I Carmini]]
[[Church of La Bragora]]
[[Church of San Marcuola]]
[[Church of San Zaccaria]]
[[Church of San Trovaso]]
}}
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Revision as of 02:12, 18 December 2025

Churches
Location of all churches in the city of Venice (excluding the Lagoon Islands)
Churches of Venice
Total Number of Churches 142
Total Number in Cannaregio 26
Total Number in Castello 26
Total Number in Dorsoduro 22
Total Number in San Marco 18
Total Number in San Polo 10
Total Number in Santa Croce 10
Total Number on Giudecca 9
Total Number on the Islands 19
Oldest Church Church of Santa Maria Assunta
Catholic Denomination 133
Other Denomination 6
Active Churches 88
v • d • e

Churches, or chiese in Italian, are a common feature in most squares, or campi, throughout the city of Venice. There are 142 churches in the city, including a few recognizable landmarks, such as the Church of Frari, the Church of Miracoli, and the Basilica of San Marco (Church) pictured below. Some of the larger churches have become tourist attractions in the city of Venice. The most commonly visited church is the Basilica of San Marco (Church), however many others are open to the public daily. Several churches are open to the public free of charge or may ask for a small donation, however 16 are maintained by the Chorus Association, an organization that is responsible for the maintenance of these select churches in the city, which charge a small fee for entrance.

History

The Basilica of San Marco (Church)

One of the reasons Venice has so many churches is that each island community in the city built its own place of worship, usually as a way of bringing the community together. Churches were often funded by wealthy merchants to showcase their wealth, by constructing dramatic interiors or elaborate façades. The oldest churches in the city were first established in the 9th century. While these church buildings are no longer standing, their traditions have continued through the years. In addition to old age, the churches of Venice have been subject to many disasters. In both the 11th and 15th centuries, fires burned through the city, destroying nearly all the buildings in their path. In the 15th century, the great fire in San Marco burned 21 churches to the ground. [1]

Another event in Venice’s history that affected many of the churches was Napoleon Bonaparte’s occupation of the city. In 1797, Napoleon took control of the Republic of Venice, and proceeded to suppress many churches and convents. Many of the churches he suppressed were able to reopen a few years later, however several were converted to military barracks or warehouse facilities and have not been restored to their original condition.[2] Napoleon also ransacked several of the churches, and sold the art work that hung on their walls. Whether or not a Church was involved in one of these city wide events, every church in Venice has a unique story to share.

Religious Services

While there are 142 church buildings in the city of Venice, only 88 of them are still operating churches that hold mass at least once a week. The other 54 churches have been converted to other uses such as schools, museums or storage facilities. The map below shows the location of the 88 operating churches in Venice in green, not including 12 located on the Lagoon islands. For information on church service times, visit the See Also section below.

Church Art

Much of the art seen in the churches of Venice was funded by wealthy families displaying their affluence to those around them. Donations to the churches were used to support local artists or workshops that would create pieces to publicly showcase their skill.

An example of a painted ceiling in the Church of Sant'Eufemia

Ceilings

The ceilings of the churches of Venice range from simple white plaster, to carved boat hulls, to paintings or frescoes. Some of these paintings are elaborate and cover the entire ceiling, giving a sense of depth on a flat surface. Otherwise unused space, the church ceilings provide a large surface for intricate designs. The center painting in the Church of Sant'Eufemia is seen to the left. The Apse of the Church is often decorated to enhance the architectural focal point of the church, that being the high altar. 

Paintings

Paintings are a popular way to showcase the wealth of an area based on the influence and fame of the artist. Additionally, many of the side altars in churches are adorned with paintings of religious figures or Biblical scenes.

Paintings can either be framed as a means to compliment altar artwork, or can be adorned on the wall of the churches itself, such as in the case of the walls of the Church of San Zaccaria. Artwork painting directly onto marble structures often wear easier and faster than typical oil on canvas, and thus are subject to more stringent security and counter wear measures. 

The high altar of the Church of La Salute

Altars

All churches contain at least one Altar where the Eucharistic sacrifice takes place during mass. Altars can range from being simple tables to intricate stone pieces with carved figures on the front and sides. These figures typically depict biblical figures or stories. The main altar of a church is a focal point of the interior. Larger churches may have additional smaller side altars in addition to the main altar, where masses and other religious ceremonies can be held in a more intimate setting. The main altar of the Church of La Salute is pictured to the right. Altars can also contain relics of famous church figures, and famous pieces of artwork. 

Church Floors

Floors are generally the last place someone looks for art, but in Venice, this is hardly the case. Of the 142 churches in Venice, 74 contain artifacts amounting to 2221 floor artifacts categorized as either tombs or plaques.[3] These Church Floor Artifacts contain valuable information in their inscriptions that provide a glimpse into Venetian history. Several churches contain tombs of Doges, former rulers of Venice, and other wealthy citizens. These tombs help visitors to gain a better understanding of the age of the church they are in and its significance to the city’s history. After hundreds of years of people walking on the floors coupled with the acqua alta floods, these artifacts are in danger of being worn away. Preservation efforts of the inscriptions are important to maintain the history of the churches.

Relics

The Body of San Metalica

Many churches contains sacred relics. Typically, relics are stored within Altars as a means of providing an instrument of prayer to the saint that which the relic is belonging to. Many church relics in Venice initially belonged to churches in the Middle East, and were relocated during the rise of Islam. 76 altars in Venice and the lagoon contain sacred relics, such as the body of Saint Mark, located in the high Altar of Basilica of San Marco (Church). Relics may also be put on general display, outside of altars, such as the body of San Lucia in Church of San Geremia. While the authenticity of some of Venice's most valuable church relics is disputed, the relics bring in many tourists each year. In addition to altars, relics can also be stored in Church Floors, Wall Monuments, and display cases.

Church Preservation

The churches of Venice house 2221 Church Floor Artifacts, which undergo wear and tear on a daily basis. Since these artifacts are made of stone, they are durable, but over several centuries, the text or images carved into the artifact are worn smooth. The Soprintendenza is an Italian government organization that oversees all restoration efforts involving culturally significant artifacts across Italy. Churches, and Church floor artifacts, are categorized as culturally significant, and therefore receive preservation funds from the Soprintendenza. Typically, several small projects are carried out each year, such as cleaning a façade or replacing the roof a church, in Venice alone, even though the Soprintendenza is responsible for all of Italy. The majority of their funding comes from tax donations called the otto per mille. This donation takes an additional 0.008% of your taxes and applies the money towards restoration projects for various churches across Venice and the rest of Italy. [4] The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, is a second platform for providing funding to restore churches in Venice. Around the globe, there are nearly twenty private organizations dedicated to funding preservation projects for Venice. Annually, UNESCO works with the Soprintendenza to coordinate restoration efforts of the churches of Venice. Worcester Polytechnic Institute project teams have worked tangent to UNESCO to catalog the progress of these restoration projects, and make a record of all the artifacts that lie in the floors of Venice's churches. [5]


In addition, the 518 altars of the churches of Venice and the Lagoon undergo wear and tear on a daily basis due to visiting families and tourists using the altar for prayer and sacrifice. Altar artwork is particularly fragile to wear and tear by humidity and flash photography. Churches have recently implemented resiliancy measures to minimize the effects that which plague the form of altar from wear and tear. Students at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute have conducted research studies into the effectiveness of these measure of preventing the loss of history through implementing flash photography bans inside church spaces, and security measures to prevent the wear and tear of the altars furthermore from the tides of time. Altars collect capital from tourists and locals through "offerings" in exchange for the ceremonial lighting of a candle for prayer and sacrifice. 


Architecture

Since its founding, Venetian churches have undergone many architectural changes. There is a limited amount of space on the island, so instead of building new churches, old churches were rebuilt to fit the new styles of architecture. When there wasn’t enough room to fit the new style, the new design was modified to fit in the allotted space. This has given Venice its own unique styles. The next few sections will describe the most important aspects of Venetian architectural designs.

Romanesque

While Venice was still being built, the Romanesque style of architecture made its appearance in Europe around the 6th century and lasted until the 8th century. These churches, with their high walls and narrow windows, did not allow much light to enter the church making the churches very dark and gloomy. Ultimately, they were similar to fortresses. Most of the Romanesque churches in Venice were demolished and the space was used for newer, larger designs.

Byzantine

From the 8th through the 12th centuries, the Byzantine style was popular in Venice. These churches have domes and long, thin arches. The largest dome would be located above the center of the church and, depending on the size of the church, smaller domes would cover the transepts (smaller side areas to the left and right of the alter). In Venice, mosaics had become the most popular form of art during this time period. Therefore the walls and domes of Byzantine churches in Venice are decorated with extravagant mosaics portraying miracles and biblical events in an attempt to express the mysteriousness of God.

Gothic

In the 12th century, the Gothic style of architecture took over and was the most prominent style until the 15th century. The Gothic style of architecture was becoming more and more popular in Europe because Gothic churches could be enormous and had large windows that lit up the entire church instead of the smaller and darker previous designs. This was possible because of the invention of the flying buttress. However, in Venice the height of buildings was restricted due to the unstable ground, eliminating the need for flying buttresses. Instead, Venetians built giant arches that began on the tops of pillars and were pointed at the top.

Renaissance

When the Renaissance began in the 14th century, it came with its own architectural style. It bore a significant Roman influence and emphasized symmetry, harmony and simplicity. No single feature, like the dome of the Byzantine church, dominated the architecture of this church style; everything complimented something else. The use of the dome, however, made Renaissance churches strongly resemble the Byzantine churches.

‘Roman’ Renaissance

This style of architecture was very similar to the previous design, without the importance of simplicity. They were built with extravagant designs and structures and a floor plan to resemble the Latin cross where two small halls branch off of the nave (the center aisle of the church). This style of church is purely Venetian, but is comparable to the mannerist style of mainland Italy. It was outlined in 1557 by Sebastiano Sirlo and later on perfected by Palladio and Sansvino.

Baroque

The Baroque style, with its complexity and decoration, was intended to be breathtaking. It resembles the Renaissance style but incorporates ornate windows and Byzantine domes. There was also a heightened use of sculptures. 

Neoclassical

After the extravagant Baroque period, Venice reverted back to the simple previous architectures. Neoclassical architecture is a blend of Byzantine and Renaissance styles; however, since they regressed back to older techniques, they could include new ideas and designs.


Visiting Churches

Chorus Association Logo
Chorus Association Logo

Many of the consecrated churches are open to the public, allowing visitors to view the art held inside. While admission to most is either free or by donations, some churches charge an admission fee. There are 16 churches that are operated by the Chorus Association which all charge a fee for visits outside of service times. For more information of the Venetian Chorus Association, visit the website in the External Links section.

Unfortunately the church on the Islands of Vignole has closed its doors after the shrinking population of Vignole largely stopped attending mass. The winter time has especially been tough for many churches in Venice and the Lagoon, as shrinking congregations result in inaccessible churches. [6]

Statistics

There are 142 churches located within Venice and its Lagoon. The Religious Denominations of the churches, Active Churches, and Churches with Floor Artifacts are described below.

Religious Denominations

Catholic Churches in Venice
Percentage of Catholic Churches in Venice (blue catholic, red non catholic)

Of the 139 Churches in Venice, 96% (133) of them are currently, or were at one time, Catholic. The six churches of other denominations are Evangelical Lutheran Church (Lutheran), Church of Greci (Greek Orthodox), Church of St. George (Anglican), Church of Sant'Eufemia (Presbyterian), Church of Santa Croce degli Armeni (Armenian), and Church of San Zandegola (Russian Orthodox).






Active Churches

Active Churches in Venice
The Number of Active and Closed Churches in Venice (blue active, red closed)

Today, 88 of the 139 church buildings in the city of Venice are still functioning churches that hold religious celebrations at least once a week. The other 51 churches in Venice and the Lagoon islands have been converted to other used such as school, community buildings or storage facilities.







Churches with Floor Artifacts

Churches with Assessed Artifacts
Number of Churches with Assessed Artifacts (blue have artifacts, red do not have artifacts or is unknown)

Of the 139 churches in Venice, 74, or 54% of the church buildings in Venice house artifacts that have been assessed. The remaining 65 churches either do not contain artifacts, or the floor could not be viewed to determine if artifacts are present.






  • The Number of Active and Closed Churches in Venice
    The Number of Active and Closed Churches in Venice
  • A comparison between the number of Churches with Assessed artifacts and Churches with none or not yet assessed artifacts
    A comparison between the number of Churches with Assessed artifacts and Churches with none or not yet assessed artifacts
  • A comparison showing the large percentage of Catholic Churches in Venice
    A comparison showing the large percentage of Catholic Churches in Venice


Map

This map shows the location of all the churches of Venice. To see the churches on the lagoon islands, use the zoom slider on the map.

<display_map> height=600 zoom=14 centre=45.440155,12.345403> 45.265582,12.300881|Church of Ognissanti di Pellestrina 45.27445,12.301168|Church of Santi Vito e Modesto in Pellestrina 45.282621,12.302482|Church of San Antonio 45.432203,12.311178|Church of Santa Marta 45.42692,12.314087|Church of San Gerardo 45.432596,12.315829|Church of San Nicolo dei Mendicoli 45.317496,12.315974|Church of San Pietro 45.438393,12.316176|Church of La Zirada 45.433282,12.316219|Church of Le Teresa 45.439357,12.316498|Church of Nome di Gesu 45.435149,12.316842|Church of Santa Maria Maggiore 45.432563,12.318999|Church of L'Anzolo Rafael 45.447246,12.319101|Church of Le Penitenti 45.431996,12.320083|Church of San Sebastiano 45.4453,12.320104|Church of San Giobbe 45.426013,12.321727|Church of San Convertite 45.437806,12.321831|Church of Tolentini 45.441437,12.322011|Church of Gli Scalzi 45.433754,12.322091|Church of Carmini 45.425716,12.323046|Church of San Cosmo 45.43139,12.323435|Church of Ognisanti 45.426919,12.323616|Church of Sant'Eufemia 45.447246,12.323993|Church of Le Cappuccine 45.435309,12.324047|Church of Santa Margherita 45.440825,12.324395|Church of San Simeon Grando 45.440863,12.324416|Church of San Simeon Piccolo 45.432053,12.324449|Church of Le Romite 45.435999,12.32449|Church of San Pantalon 45.446794,12.325023|Church of San Girolomo 45.442725,12.325268|Church of San Geremia 45.433209,12.325297|Church of San Barnaba 45.436997,12.325308|Church of San Rocco 45.445719,12.325753|Suore Dorotee 45.430902,12.325918|Church of San Trovaso 45.438214,12.326034|Church of San Giovanni Evangelista 45.429743,12.326594|Church of Santa Maria della Visitazione 45.437114,12.326665|Church of Frari 45.443994,12.32674|Church of San Leonardo 45.447935,12.326754|Church of San Bonaventura 45.429404,12.327164|Church of Gesuati 45.440306,12.327367|Church of San Giacomo dell'Orio 45.43596,12.327752|Church of San Tommaso 45.441751,12.327774|Church of San Zandegola 45.429983,12.328113|Church of Sant'Agnese 45.433627,12.328299|Church of San Samuele 45.431407,12.328583|Church of La Carità 45.443226,12.328588|Church of San Marcuola 45.448149,12.329014|Church of Sant'Alvise 45.432436,12.329398|Church of S. Vidal 45.43721,12.329532|Church of San Polo 45.430722,12.330103|Church of Santi Vito e Modesto 45.430827,12.330345|Church of St. George 45.440238,12.330371|Church of Maria Mater Domini 45.441525,12.330671|Church of San Stae 45.425518,12.330747|Church of San Trinità 45.444103,12.330882|Church of Servi 45.43372,12.331042|Church of San Stefano 45.443204,12.331122|Church of La Maddalena 45.433087,12.33157|Church of San Maurizio 45.428644,12.331729|Church of Spirito Santo 45.43427,12.331866|Oratorio dell'Annunciata 45.439702,12.332063|Church of San Cassian 45.443051,12.33218|Church of Santa Fosca in Cannaregio 45.425212,12.332451|Church of Redentore 45.435834,12.332463|Church of San Benedetto 45.437964,12.332507|Church of Sant'Aponal 45.446591,12.332526|Church of La Madonna dell'Orto 45.43274,12.332753|Church of Santa Maria Zobenigo 45.44388,12.33288|Church of San Marziale 45.441723,12.333379|Church of San Felice 45.437553,12.333396|Church of San Silvestro 45.435839,12.333649|Church of San Luca 45.43079,12.33369|Church of San Gregorio 45.430179,12.334035|Church of Catecumeni 45.433989,12.334094|Church of San Fantin 45.438711,12.334383|Church of San Giovanni Elemosinario 45.43102,12.334754|Church of La Salute 45.441087,12.335001|Church of Santa Sofia 45.424921,12.33516|Church of La Croce 45.443966,12.335173|Church of La Misericordia 45.438598,12.33531|Church of San Giacometo di Rialto 45.433134,12.336048|Church of San Moisè 45.437731,12.336229|Church of San Bartolomeo 45.440265,12.336308|Evangelical Lutheran Church 45.443408,12.336375|Church of Santa Caterina 45.43688,12.336506|Church of San Salvador 45.434727,12.336829|Church of San Gallo 45.439155,12.337227|Church of San Giovanni Grisostomo 45.371726,12.337764|Church of Santa Maria dell'Assunzione 45.435638,12.33772|Church of Santa Croce degli Armeni 45.437064,12.338003|Church of La Fava 45.437617,12.33846|Church of San Lio 45.440161,12.338539|Church of San Canciano 45.435956,12.338582|Church of San Zulian 45.427108,12.339125|Church of Le Zitelle 45.439566,12.339194|Church of Miracoli 45.443633,12.339254|Church of Gesuiti 45.435141,12.339329|Church of San Basso 45.434644,12.339458|Basilica of San Marco (Church) 45.434984,12.340259|Church of San Teodoro 45.437162,12.341047|Church of Santa Maria Formosa 45.435737,12.341462|Church of San Zaninovo 45.43959,12.34153|Church of San Zanipolo 45.4414,12.342468|Church of Mendicanti 45.429642,12.342646|Church of San Giorgio 45.438842,12.342818|Church of L'Ospedalletto 45.434724,12.343557|Church of San Zaccaria 45.435571,12.344636|Church of Greci 45.434311,12.344963|Church of La Pietà 45.440155,12.345403|Church of Santa Maria del Pianto 45.437492,12.345451|Church of San Lorenzo 45.43621,12.345968|Church of San Giorgio degli Schiavoni 45.438268,12.345993|Church of Santa Giustina 45.436643,12.346229|Church of San Giovanni di Malta 45.43569,12.346412|Church of San Antonin 45.434455,12.346797|Church of La Bragora 45.449286,12.346882|Church of San Michele 45.438457,12.347661|Church of La Vigna 45.458683,12.348777|Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli 45.434662,12.348949|Church of San Martino 45.433755,12.348971|Church of Ca' di Dio 45.432676,12.349989|Church of San Biagio 45.45502,12.352626|Church of San Pietro Martire 45.432958,12.354037|Church of San Francesco di Paula 45.432767,12.356446|Church of San Gioacchino 45.430633,12.357167|Church of San Giuseppe 45.457527,12.357232|Church of San Donato 45.432676,12.358138|Church of Sant'Anna 45.434805,12.359779|Church of San Pietro di Castello 45.403661,12.361806|Church of San Antonio 45.426414,12.362834|Suore Mantellate 45.427108,12.365374|Church of Sant'Elena 45.417266,12.368855|Church of Santa Maria Elisabetta 45.442332,12.377429|Church of Sant'Erosia 45.427877,12.380692|Church of San Nicolò 45.484041,12.405809|Church of Santa Caterina 45.459179,12.410323|Church of Sant'Erasmo 45.498368,12.418744|Church of Santa Fosca in Torcello 45.484688,12.41875|Church of San Martino 45.498594,12.41912|Church of Santa Maria Assunta </display_map>



See Also

List of Churches

v • d • e
Churches of Venice
Cannaregio
Castello
Dorsoduro
San Marco
San Polo
Santa Croce
Giudecca
Islands


v • d • e
Churches of Venice with Relics

Church of Sant'Alvise Church of I Santi Apostoli Church of Santa Maria Assunta Basilica of San Marco (Church) Church of La Bragora Church of San Canciano Church of I Carmini Church of San Donato Church of Sant'Elena Church of San Eufemia Church of San Fantin Church of San Felice Church of Santa Maria Formosa Church of I Frari Church of I Frari Church of San Geremia Church of San Geremia Church of San Giacometo di Rialto Church of Santa Maria Zobenigo Church of Santa Maria Zobenigo Church of San Zanipolo Church of San Zanipolo Church of San Zanipolo Church of San Marcuola Church of San Martino Church of San Martino Church of San Martino Church of San Nicolo dei Mendicoli Church of Gli Scalzi Church of San Nicolò Church of Ognisanti Church of San Giacomo dell'Orio Church of San Giacomo dell'Orio Church of San Pantalon Church of San Pantalon Church of San Pietro di Castello Church of San Pietro di Castello Church of San Pietro di Castello Church of San Pietro di Castello Church of San Pietro di Castello Church of San Pietro di Castello Church of San Rocco Church of Santa Giustina Church of Santa Giustina Church of Santa Giustina Church of Santa Giustina Church of La Salute Church of San Salvador Church of San Salvador Church of San Sebastiano Church of San Sebastiano Church of San Sebastiano Church of San Sebastiano Church of Santa Sofia Church of San Stefano Church of I Tolentini Church of La Vigna Church of San Zaccaria

Church of San Zulian
v • d • e
Churches of Venice in CHORUS

References

  1. ↑ http.churchesofvenice.co.uk
  2. ↑ http.churchesofvenice.co.uk
  3. ↑ Dechaine, Danielle, Hennessey, Meghan, Orszulak, Jeffrey, Rullmann, Kevin. Treasures Underfoot: Preserving Venice's Church Floor Artifacts. An Interactive Qualifying Project for Worcester Polytechnic Institute. 2012.
  4. ↑ Soprintendenza B.A.P. di Venezia e Laguna. 2012. 7 Oct 2012 <http://www.soprintendenza.venezia.beniculturali.it/>
  5. ↑ UNESCO-ROSTE. " Historical Facts: Introductory Notes about the Regional Bureau for Science in Europe Starting from the Disastrous Flooding of 1966 Till Today." accessed September 8, 2012.
  6. ↑ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/24/historic-churches-venice-close-congregations-dwindle/

Bibliography

  • Dechaine, Danielle, Hennessey, Meghan, Orszulak, Jeffrey, Rullmann, Kevin. Treasures Underfoot: Preserving Venice's Church Floor Artifacts. An Interactive Qualifying Project for Worcester Polytechnic Institute. 2012.
  • Lorenzetti, Giulio. “Venice and its Lagoon: Historical-Artistic Guide” Edizoni LINT S.R.L. Italy. 1994
  • S. Hoey, M. Kahan, P Marchetti, K Mazza. Convents, Palaces and Churches: Transformation of Historic Buildings and the Impact on Venice’s Neighborhoods. An Interactive Qualifying Project for Worcester Polytechnic Institute. 2003.
  • Santos,Luiz G., Petrowski,Craig Peter, Kristant,Elaine Hazel, Delaive,Amanda Leigh. The Church Floors in Venice, Italy -- an Archeological Study and Analysis. An Interactive Qualifying Project for Worcester Polytechnic Institute. 2002.

External Links

Retrieved from "https://wiki.cityknowledge.org/index.php?title=Churches&oldid=77592"